Requiem For the Lost and Damned
by Zimithrus1
Summary: AU: Allen was like a wounded animal, afraid of affection or a gentle touch. In retrospect, he might as well have been an animal. With an arm and eye like his and that snow white hair, it was no wonder he was cast aside. But even through the disfigurements, Mana saw more than that in young Allen and decided to take him in. But perhaps Allen was out on the streets for a reason...
1. Act 1: To Be Treated

Hello! Thank you all so much for checking out my story! It really means a lot! :) I just recently got into D Gray Man, but when I say recently, I really mean three weeks ago, but I digress XD Anyways, when I was reading through the books, I always loved thinking about Mana and Allen's relationship, I just found it so touching and endearing! So I wanted to make a fic centered around their days as entertainers and even before that! Well, enough of my long ramblings, I'll end this pre-AN here :p Happy reading!

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~Act 1: To Be Treated~

Evening was beginning to settle softly in Britain on Christmas day in the year of 1889. The clouds in the sky were thick and gray, covering the entirety of the vast atmosphere, yet they were overcast with the brilliant colors of the setting sun from behind. The thickest and highest clouds in the sky were painted in a soft yellow color, creamy orange underbellies tinted them and gave them fullness.

The thinner clouds containing buckets of thick and frothy snow were blazed a fiery red with light lilac tinting near the bottom edges. The clouds settling closest to the horizon line were a deep navy blue, turning near obsidian as the sun hit its western five o' clock position in the sky. Eventually, the colors would shift places, the light and bright colors towards the bottom as darkness overtook the top.

A lavish man watched the beautifully dim sunset from inside a small cafe, sitting properly in his brown leather booth beside a large glass window draped in maroon bay curtains. He was sipping quietly on a creamy french vanilla blend of coffee resting inside an off white coffee cup shaped more like a teacup. A small stream of steam rose lazily out of the cup and whirled slowly in the air. An unused saucer for said cup sat undisturbed on the table he was sitting at.

Two pink packets of sugar were emptied and resting off to the side on the pine wood table. The man pulled his eyes away from the window long enough to steal a sip of his coffee. A bit of the liquid hung from his thin black mustache and a few light brown drops trickled out. His deep almond brown eyes stared at his reflection slowly swirling in the tea-shaped coffee cup.

His thick short black hair was tucked into a small silk black top hat. His facial features were rather defined, a sharp jawline, somewhat fuller cheekbones and sharp eyes. Yet the way he held his expressions was in a kind manner, a constant smile seemed to be etched into the corners of his bow-shaped lips. Even though his eyes seemed sharp, there was a gentle softness to them, perhaps the way the light shined off the soft brown.

Even though he looked refined and quite dignified, when he was not dressed up and out on the town, he was further from the rich man part. He was actually a traveling entertainer whose hometown was here in Britain. Mana Walker: A twenty-eight year old traveling clown with an endless supply of laughter and smiles tucked beneath the surface.

He took another slow sip of coffee, having to tilt the cup back just a little bit farther since the cup was less than half full now. He picked up a napkin sitting to his left and dabbed it at his mouth once. A young waitress passed by, golden blonde pigtails bouncing as she walked down the aisle with a small tray in her right hand.

As he looked back out of the window, the colors had indeed changed position. The bright oranges were now on the horizon line and the dark blues were now high in the sky and looming over where the sun used to be. Said sun was now sitting it its' six o' clock winter position, barely visible in the sky.

Mana turned his head back and tilted the last of his french vanilla beverage into his mouth, swallowing in a satisfied manner. He gently set the cup down onto the saucer and used the napkin to dab at his mouth once more. The blonde haired waitress came back, collecting his cup and plate with a soft smile. He returned the gesture as she began to walk away.

And there marked his fourth Christmas spent alone in the same diner he spent every lonely Christmas evening. He reached into the left pocket of his black slacks and pulled out thirteen cents, laying it on the table next to his napkin. He even left two spare pennies for the waitress to claim as her own. He stood up from his booth, brushing off his white dress shirt and elegant black vest. He reached over to the far side of the booth closest to the window to reclaim his heavy winter jacket. He slipped it on over his arms and adjusted it comfortably over his back.

With that, he made his way back to the front door of the diner, hefty black boots clunking against the bright polished pine wood floor. He pushed open the small glass door in the front of the cafe via a deep brown brass handle. As he stepped out into the December chill, a bell danced wildly above, signaling his departure from the quaint little shop. He made sure the door closed behind him softly before pulling his jacket closer his large body, even taking the time to button about three of the five large buttons adorned into the black fabric.

Mana set off in a westward direction to return back home, following the sun that had now disappeared and left early dusk in its' wake. A few snow flurries danced from either side of him and skittered across the sidewalk. A deep pine green horse drawn carriage 'clopped' passed, the carriage being pulled by a rather elegant looking Clydesdale horse. A young couple on the other side of the sidewalk was laughing and holding hands as they walked without a care in the world, no place to go, but going there together.

Dusk further withered into early night. All of the oranges and yellows were completely gone by this point, replaced by purples, blacks, and blues. There was a break in the thick clouds, light navy blue skies showing through. In the gap, a few faint stars twinkled dimly from above, adding some extra light for Mana as he continued on home. A few streetlamps were starting to light up as the world continued to grow darker with the ever coming night.

He was going to go back to his house, light his fireplace, curl up into his couch and enjoy a good book or two for the rest of his night, just like he did every Christmas night when he was in his hometown. But for some reason, something just felt different. He gently slowed to a stop, head beginning to ponder. He knew he was going the right way to get home, but something was telling him to turn around and go the other way.

Curiosity eventually won over reason, and soon, Mana found himself turning tail and heading back the other direction he just came from. This was certainly odd, even for him when he wasn't acting so refined like he was now. Of course, he was only distinguished like this on special occasions, like holidays or...Funeral anniversary dates. He had spent four Christmas's alone because his young lover had died four years ago: Edith Florance was her name.

She was a beauty. Breathtaking blue eyes, platinum blonde hair and a magnificent smile to match. She was kind and modest. But she was mostly very sarcastic and sardonic. Her unique view on life was what had drawn him to her. But now she was gone, and he was surviving. They had no children, no close relatives, and now he had nothing to call his own besides the small traveling group he toured the world with. Only those few people were his family now.

He came to a sudden stop in a darker, more run-down, part of down. The buildings were nearly in shambles and the sidewalk was cracked in multiple places. A few green snow-dropped weeds shot out like tree roots from the cracks. The snow began to fall a little faster by now. It was still soft and small, but now just a bit heavier. His feet started to move again, it almost felt like his body was moving without his brain telling it do to so.

Then he stopped. He turned his body to the right, glancing into a dark ally-way. What was it that could have been telling him to come all this way? It felt more than just a gut feeling or coincidence. It felt like he _needed _to be here. He took a few steps into the ally. There wasn't much shelter here. There were a few metal trash bins and empty cardboard boxes strewn about, but otherwise, not much was here. He stopped about halfway down the ally when something caught his eye. No. Not something, some_one_.

It was a boy.

The small child was huddled in between the protection of two wooden vegetable crates, housing no food of course. He was shivering, a flimsy and tattered blanket that more like like burlap covered the front of his body. What immediately made him stand out was the bright white hair, just like the snow falling around them. His head was down, he was quiet, but still shivering none-the-less. Why on earth was there a child here? Of all places or of all times?

Mana approached the shivering child slowly, his brown eyes soaking in every detail of the child that they could. The oils in the hair, the mats and clumps, and the dirt etched into the bottom of his chin. By the way he was shaking, he could tell that the boy was softly crying. He was trying to keep quiet, stay strong perhaps, but his human emotions were winning over in this battle. He further curled himself into a tighter ball, pressing his back just a bit more closer against the brick wall he was resting against.

The lavish clad gentleman took a knee right in front of the shivering and sobbing boy, concern etched behind his eyes of brown. Suddenly, the young one was silent. He stopped shaking and his sobbing quelled into silence. He slowly lifted his head in a weak fashion, as if there had been a large weight settled on the back of his neck. Once again, Mana gathered another clue as to why the boy was out here.

There was a deep, nearly blood red mark covering the near entirety of the left side of his face. Above his snow white eyebrow was a mark in the shape of an upside-down star; A pentagram. Near the bottom edge of said pentagram, a thick vertical line slashed over his left eyelid and down to his cheek. Nestled on his cheekbone, a thin horizontal line slashed across the vertical line. The thick line that went over his eye shot to his further left near the middle of his cheek and curved in to nearly touch his small and dirt-scuffed chin.

His eyes were of the brightest silver Mana had ever seen. But as his eyes were bright, they were clouded in his innocent sorrows. When the small boy realized that the man in front of him was staring him up and down, he curled his lips back to reveal his teeth, canines unusually sharp for a child. When the black haired man continued to stare at the boy, his actions were met with low growling from said child.

He couldn't have been a day over six from Mana's calculations. So young, brittle, fragile looking even. Yet past the dirt and the broken state of his heart and mind, he attempted to be strong, savage almost. He growled with a bit more force when the onyx-haired man continued to stare at him. He pulled his back away from the cold brick wall and slouched it, eyes now glaring sharply at the stranger in front of him.

Mana felt a sudden urge sweep over him, a nagging feeling churning in the pit of his stomach: Guilt, but there was something else swirling inside. Compassion. He felt like he _needed_ to help this child. There was something there, maybe it was the snowy atmosphere, the way that time seemed to freeze the longer he stared at the young boy. There was just, a _connection._ A simple thread of fate that tangled into his own. His spirit brought him over here for a reason. Perhaps this boy _was_ that reason.

Cautiously, he reached out his right hand to try and brush the tear tracks away from the young child's face. However, his actions had only caused the child to react violently. With a hit, feeling more like a punch, containing strength that such a young boy should not possess, Mana's hand was slapped away. He could feel the stinging even through the white gloves covering his hands.

Gears clicked in his head, 'chunking' as the motions of thought swam through. Why did this boy possess such strength in a body that appeared to be feeble? His question was answered sooner than he thought. The burlap material covering the child's torso slipped on the left side. Mana was in for yet another surprise.

The dirty gray shirt two sizes too big for him was ripped towards the shoulder, and what should have been his left arm was displayed for the twenty-eight year old to see. Thick and deep crimson red skin that was textured to look more like scales or dry patches of mentioned skin covered the entirety of his left arm. It started at the shoulder and snaked all the way down to his fingers. His fingernails looked like they were painted black with nail polish, but Mana could even tell that this was not the case. They were just simply _black,_ like his arm was just simply _red._

Embedded into the back of his hand was a cross shaped crystal, colored a deep obsidian black color, a faint green glow emanating from within. It was dim in this dark lighting of early night. The only light they had now was a lit streetlamp on the corner of the ally-way fixed to the sidewalk. The snow was starting to build up a little further now, being able to stick to the cracking ground beneath them and become small mounds and piles. Snow sat undisturbed on Mana's hat and on the boy's equally white hair.

When the child realized his burlap cover had slipped from his body, he was quick to gather it back up and cover his arm again. His eyes whipped back accusingly towards Mana, telling him without words to just _get lost. _The ravenette man however, was adamant about staying here. He made sure to display that in his own sharp eyes back towards the boy.

With another steady hand, he reached for the white haired child again. This time, instead of wanting to wipe the tear tracks from his eyes, he reached for his small deformed arm. A lump that could only be the child's left arm under the hessian raised up, poised like a serpent in waiting for its' prey. He was going to strike Mana again if he got too close.

Ignoring the subtle hint, Mana gently curled his fingers around the arm. From what he could feel, his fingers had grasped the boy's wrist. The white-haired child began to try and jerk his arm back, unable to break the strong hold. Realizing he could not tear himself free, he began to scream and thrash about wildly. In his fit, he knocked over one of the empty wooden vegetable crates, it hit the ground with a loud _clunk _sound against the pavement.

The ravenette gently pulled the boy's arm closer to him, trying to be as soft as he could so he would not injure the frightened little one. Aforementioned little one thrashed with even more fury, his normal right arm trying to slap and claw at Mana's hand holding his left arm prisoner. The twenty-eight year old had to admit the boy's rather long and chipped fingernails did sting even through the cloth of his swallowtail overcoat, but he pressed forward.

With a bit of force, he pulled the boy away from the brick wall and close to his torso. When the small one was close enough, his right hand dropped the little left arm and his broad arms swallowed the frail child into a warm hug. The white-haired boy thrashed about wildly, trying to break free.

But after a few moments in the warm embrace, he began to simmer down. Eventually, he pressed his cold body into the warm torso of the ravenette. The way the little one fit against him felt like interlocking puzzle pieces being matched together. Somehow, it made Mana feel whole, complete like this. It was something he used to share with his beloved deceased Edith, yet it was different, almost more warm and fulfilling in a way.

"Why are you out here by yourself?" Mana spoke up after a few moments into the embrace. He figured he already knew the answer, but decided to ask the question anyways.

Abruptly, the boy yanked himself away from Mana, obvious hurt swelling behind his silver eyes. A few fresh tears squeezed themselves from his bloodshot eyes and followed the tracks of earlier tears cried from before. It looked as if he as not going to answer for quite some time, and when the ravenette thought he wasn't going to get an answer, he got one.

"I was left behind." He stated softly, his voice still holding that sweet innocence of a child about his age. Yet as it was sweet, it was tainted in grief and a desperate longing.

"So you're all alone now, aren't you?" Mana coaxed gently, shifting his weight slightly as he left his left leg beginning to fall asleep.

"Mm." The boy agreed through thin pursed lips. Big silver eyes continued to quietly cry without audible sobs.

"Did your mother and father leave you here alone?" The twenty-eight year old inquired softly, trying to not further upset the little one.

"Mm." He responded back, using the same noise as before. His right arm rubbed at his right eye, clearing the tear tracks from it, but further irritating the gentle skin.

Mana took a moment to process the information the boy solidified for him. He was out on the streets in nothing more than rags with deformities that would have any normal parents automatically afraid of their own offspring. Judging the boy's appearance and earlier savage behaviour, he had been out here for a long time.

"Do you know exactly how long you've been on the streets?" Mana inquired.

"Um... I dunno. It was warm when they left me here, now it's cold. I guess it's been awhile." The white haired child explained, eyes looking towards the opening in the ally that lead to the main streets.

The young one could not measure the length of time he had been out here. Based on Mana's calculations, his parents might have left him here sometime in the spring. If that was indeed the case, this little one had been left alone for nearly a year. If he could not tell how many days or months he had been here, he might be lacking any kind of further education.

Pulling back his right coat sleeve, he showed the white haired boy a gold wristwatch. The child stared at his reflection in it before gazing at the strange device curiously. He knew his birth father had always worn one of those things around his wrist too, but he never ever figured out why.

"Could you tell me the time?" Mana asked, testing the level of the child's knowledge.

"Uhh... The long stick is pointing at the number five." The little one muttered, pulling nothing more than a blank at what this gentleman was asking of him.

The ravenette pulled his coat back over his exposed skin, giving it warmth from the snow again. "So, at least you know what numbers are." He added softly.

"Mm. Momma had another Momma taking care of me. She taught me lots of things, but she died. Then I was here." The boy agreed and explained, shivering slightly into the hessian material again.

That further explained a few things to Mana. The only reason why this boy wasn't out on the streets any sooner was because his parents had hired a caretaker to care of him. With her recent death, his parents refused to take further care of him and left him in this ally. Truly an upsetting story indeed.

"Tell me, child. What is your name?" Mana inquired reassuringly and gently when he saw the boy appear as if he was going to start quietly crying again.

"It's Allen." The white haired child responded, watery silver eyes starting to become less cloudy all of a sudden.

"A pleasure to meet you, Allen. My name is Mana Walker." The ravenette spoke with a smile as he reached his right hand out for the boy to shake.

For a moment, Allen just stared at the outstretched hand in front of him. But instead of shaking his hand, he put himself back against the twenty-eight year old's torso and snuggled into it. This was the first person besides his other momma to ever be nice to him and hug him. To treat him like he should be treated.

"Say, do you know when your birthday is?" Mana asked, arms wrapping around the little boy softly.

He felt Allen shake his head no, still keeping his small and dirt-pressed body against the ravenette's own.

"One last question. Would you like to come home with me?" The twenty-eight year old man addressed.

Allen's head popped up suddenly, big silvery eyes watering with tears once more. A large grin spread slowly across his lips, soon becoming a full blown smile with a few ivory white teeth showing through. He nodded his head as quickly as his little neck would let him. Then he hugged Mana as tightly as he could, finally feeling happy again after all this time spent building up his walls and spending it alone. Then he started to laugh as he cried, snuggling his face further against his new guardian.

"And with that, Happy birthday to you, Allen." The ravenette coddled, holding the little boy closer to him. He just filled the void that Edith left behind. He felt warmer than he had ever been, more complete than he ever was.

When the white haired boy pulled away just enough to show the man his smiling face stained with happy tears, Mana wiped the fresh moisture from his cheeks gently and lovingly.

"No more tears." He spoke, brushing a few strands of oily white hair from his dirt-scathed face.

With that, Allen wiped at his eyes further and nodded his head in agreement.

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A/N: And there's a good place to wrap this chappie up! I hope you guys liked it! :) If you did, be sure to fave, follow, and review! To quote another Author:

"Follows are my drink, favorites are my food, and reviews are my life force." XD

And with that, I bid you audeuix for now and will see you all in the next installment! :3

Toodles!  
~Zimithrus1


	2. Act 2: A Place to Call Home

Hello All! I have returned, bringing another chapter with me! I appreciate all the faves and follows! I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you will enjoy this one too! :) With that said, I'll end this here, Happy reading! :D

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~Act 2: A Place To Call Home~

Allen felt almost hesitant about leaving the ally he had spent so long in. He stood beside Mana near the mouth of the ally, little silver eyes quickly glancing back behind him. His line of sight lingered at the spot where he had earlier wedged himself in between those two wooden vegetable crates. Laying where he once sat was the hessian material he decided to leave behind. That scratchy cloth never kept him very warm in this cold anyway. In fact, none of his clothing kept him warm. A short sleeved gray t-shirt and beige shorts wouldn't do _anybody_ good in this cold.

His eyes looked back ahead of him, the shabby walls of the ally in his prephrial vision acting as blinders from seeing too much. In front of him, the deep green street lamp flickered once before returning to its original brightness. The way the powdery snow that fell around or coated it gave the street a near fairy tale appearance. The white haired boy saw another lavishly dressed gentleman walking on the other side of the street briskly, trying to get home before the weather got worse.

Allen gently poked his head from the protection of the two buildings, looking to the left and right. The same snow covered sidewalks and buildings remained, but now he could see more of the dark gray sky. He craned his neck up and watched the fluffy snow fall down to the earth slowly and playfully. Each flake of snow danced and swirled in harmonized rhythm, like orchestra members playing a classical piece of music together.

While it was serene and beautiful outside the mouth of the ally, Allen felt nervous and anxious. What would it be like to finally step out of the shadows and into the light once more? Would he still be ostracized for his appearance like before? The unknown made him fidget uncomfortably, and for a moment, he wanted to wedge himself in between those vegetable crates again and forget ever leaving this place. He hung his head down as his fingers began to wring themselves out, a nervous habit he had developed while on his time on the streets.

A larger white-gloved hand from the right of him reached out and gently intertwined their fingers together, squeezing once reassuringly. When Allen looked up once more, Mana was smiling at him comfortingly. His sharp, yet kind, brown eyes silently told him that it was going to be alright. Allen knew it was time to go. The fear of leaving the ally seemed to swallow him at this point.

A heavy feeling dropped in the pit of his stomach, but at the same time, nervous butterflies hovered high and seemed to flutter all the way into his throat. It was the strangest churning feeling the young child had ever experienced. When he felt Mana began to move, the whitette closed his eyes tightly, held his breath in puffed out cheeks and moved as well.

They had only taken one step before stopping. Allen slowly cracked open his right eye, keeping the left scrunched up tight. When his open silver eye determined that nothing had abruptly changed, the left one slowly opened up and he finally exhaled his held breath. His head whipped to the right, then to the left, quickly. His heart began to beat heavily in his chest, being able to feel each pulse radiate through his entire body. They had made it out of the mouth of the ally, but now young Allen felt way too exposed out in the open like this.

He took a hurried step back towards the mouth, seeking comfort in the darkness he was so used to. When backing up, his hand that was curled into Mana's had pulled. This caused the older gentleman's arm to sway back and cause slight tension. He saw the ravenette turned his head to assess the situation on why he had backed up. When the vision of the older man blurred terribly, Allen knew tears were starting to billow in the corners of his eyes.

He used his odd left arm and wiped at his eyes, all of a sudden starting to feel ashamed of his tears. He gently held his head down. He never felt ashamed of his tears before, so why would he _now? _Mana gently took a knee and leveled himself to Allen's own height. A small comforting grin pulled at the corners of his lips as he gently squeezed the six-year old's hand a little tighter, trying to encourage the young one. The whitette kept his head down, but lifted his eyes up from behind his bangs, sniffling once. The ravenette gently brushed the snow white bangs from the boy's dirt-scuffed face.

"It's alright to be frightened. But remember, you aren't doing this alone anymore." Mana explained soothingly, using the hand that brushed his bangs from his face to gently run it through his soft, yet matted, hair.

Allen gently lifted his head, wiping at his eyes one last time. He nodded once, signifying that he understood. With that, a thinner but wider smile spread across the ravenette's face as he stood up to his full height again. The whitette took a step forward, leaving the mouth of the ally again. _This time, no backing away. _He told himself. To keep himself from pulling back again, his right hand reached up and curled into Mana's, who latched on lovingly.

Then the two slowly began to walk. Mana held a gentle lead ahead of Allen, leading the way back to his home. The boy followed close by at all times, making sure the grip on his new guardian's hand never loosened or slipped. The snow around them fell a little thicker than before, the flakes looking more like lumps as they fell, rather than dots.

When Allen stepped into a fresh pile of snow, a violent chill tingled up and down his entire body. The only coverage he had from the ground were the tattered socks on his feet with too many holes to count. They didn't provide very good insulation and hardly served as clothing anymore. Small goosebumps rose on his arms and on the back of his neck. He walked a little closer to Mana, pressing the upper half of his body against the man's coat as he continued to walk. Allen loved the snow, really, he did. He just didn't know why it had to be so _cold. _

When a young couple appeared on the sidewalk that the adult and child were walking on, the whitette boy shrank, keeping his head down. Now he wished he had kept that hessian cover. If he had, he could have covered his ugly left arm so other people didn't have to look at it. With a tattered sleeve that didn't even go past his shoulder, he knew the couple coming towards them would see it. He closed his eyes as they continued to walk, bracing himself for the harsh whispers, the jeers and leers.

But his eyes snapped back open when they stopped walking for a brief moment. In a flash, Mana's strong arms wrapped around his middle and he was hoisted up into the air and held there for a moment. When the couple sounded to be right next to them, the ravenette pulled Allen close to his chest, holding him lovingly.

The young couple walked passed, the blonde-haired girl giggling and the black-haired man smiling at the others on the sidewalk. The whitette realized the people didn't laugh or stare at him. He pulled his face away from Mana and peeked his head over his broad shoulder as the ravenette tenderly holding him began to walk again.

The young couple had turned as they walked. The woman had giggled again and waved at Allen. The man continued to smile. But what made the small child feel warm inside was the _good _things that those two said when they were barely in ear-range.

"Did you see how brilliantly _cute _that little boy was?" The woman enthused as the child saw her lock arms with her lover, even from the ever-growing distance.

"I did, Clarise." He responded back.

"That white hair was just so darling on him! You think it's natural? I wish _I _had white hair like that..." The woman aimlessly began to ramble.

Then the couple turned on a street corner and disappeared. A thin and bright smile washed across Allen's face. He had never been called cute in his life! Not even by his other momma, or just _anyone! _He then nestled his face against Mana's shoulder, snuggling his body into the warmth of his guardian. He felt the man's arms hold him a little tighter, a little more lovingly.

It was a wonderful feeling to have someone care about you. Not only did they keep you warm from the cold, but they made you feel warm on the _inside _as well. He closed his eyes for a moment, relishing in the current moment. The snow falling gently around them, the loving hold he was wrapped up in, and the radiant glow of a soft blush across his cheeks from the earlier compliments.

He couldn't even remember the last time he had felt this _warm_, this _loved_, this _wanted_. He never wanted this feeling to go away. _Never. _And somehow, his eyes felt so heavy that when he kept them closed, everything fell silent and still.

Mana smiled when he heard the softest of snores echo from his right shoulder.

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"Allen?"

_'who's calling for me? Mana?'_

"Hey, Allen. Wake up."

_'Mm, I don't want too. I feel too comfy to get up...'_

"Come on Sleeping Beauty, I think you've had a long enough nap."

_'No I haven't, I've barely even been asleep, Mana...'_

"Allen!"

_'...'_

"Nhh.." The white haired boy moaned, feeling light pats on his back and a bounce or two in Mana's arms.

His hands began to rub his eyes slowly as a long yawn drawled from his mouth. The soft bouncing stopped as well as the pats. He stretched his arms out above his head as another lazy yawn slipped from his open lips. He felt so sluggish and heavy. It was almost as if he could slip right back into sleep again if he closed his eyes once more. Or course if he did that, his guardian would just wake him up again.

"Welcome home, Allen." Mana said with a smile as he set the rather short child down on his own two feet.

The ravenette removed his heavy overcoat and top hat, hanging them up on a golden brass coat rack sitting idly by the dark colored wooden door. He rolled and popped his shoulders and neck a few times to relieve tension and stiffness from his muscles. He also kicked off his heavy boots and rested those in front of the coat rack.

The whitette felt more awake after hearing that. He turned on his heel quickly, then stared in awe. Here he was, on the street no more than a half hour ago, and now he was in a house he could call his home.

The living room was a bit on the small side. It wasn't too small to call cramped. He supposed the right word for it would be _cozy._ The carpet under their feet was a shaggy tan and rose from the floor. The colors of the walls were a creamy peach, lacking any kinds of pictures or decorations.

Situated at the far end of the furthest wall was a brick fireplace. A few small pictures were settled snugly on the small mantle. There was a small dark oak wooden coffee table with a glass center a few feet from the fireplace. On either side of the table were two off-white regal looking chairs. A posh rug sat underneath the furniture colored in a deep maroon.

Sitting a few feet away from the fireplace on the left was a deep brown bookshelf, all six shelves lined and packed tight with all kinds of literature. On the other side of the fireplace, a large floor lamp with a creamy white cloth shade over it sat stationary, a dim bulb screwed in and left on. It gave the living room a soft glow of light, just enough to return back home from night to have have some light to see when arriving.

Siting right next to the floor lamp was a tall Douglas Fir pine tree. It was adorned in multicolored bulbs and strewn with shimmering red and gold garland. Atop the tree was a small angel with white wings and a little yellow halo above her head. A red cloth tree skirt hugged the base of the tree and a few pine needles from the tree lay stationary there. No wrapped presents or boxes lay under the tree.

Situated on the glass table were two hardback books and a small wood radio. The radio was off and the books were closed. The whitette could see a thin bookmark protruding from the book closest to the radio.

To the right of the living room was the kitchen. A peninsula counter separated it from the living room and light colored bar stools sat in front of it. A tiny dining room that looked suited more for two sat at the end of the kitchen. A medium toned table with a white tablecloth over it and two chairs of the same color rest unoccupied and unused. The floor in the tiny dining room and kitchen were of white linoleum.

To the left of the living room was a small dark hallway. The bedroom and bathroom were probably down there, it was just a tad bit too dark to tell or know for sure.

"Allen, come with me." Mana directed, beginning to walk towards the dark hallway on the left side of the quaint and cozy house.

The child quickly scampered behind, feet shuffling against the soft carpet. The ravenette flipped on a light switch and a small glass dome lit up in the middle of the ceiling. The small hallway was washed in soft light and allowed the young one to see better.

There were two white painted doorways on the left side of the hall. On the wall adjacent to the first door on the left side was simply a closet. Down the hall on the right side, situated at the very end of the hall was another door, probably leading into a bedroom.

Mana entered the second door down the hall. Allen made sure he didn't fall behind. A light flickered in this room as well before blaring to its' full intensity. This room was the bathroom. The floor here was white tile with tan caulking to seal each tile together and down on the ground. The walls were the same color as the living room: Creamy peach.

A porcelain white tub sat on the right side with an equally white cloth curtain covering half of it. Across from the tub was a deep colored wooden counter with a deep green granet finish. The handles and nozzle for the sink looked as if it was gold, but it probably wasn't. Behind the sink was the toilet. That was white and porcelain like the bathtub as well. A small overhead cabinet hung above the toilet.

"I figured you might want to freshen up before going to bed, seeing how you didn't want to wake up from your little nap earlier." Mana jested with a smile, crouching down on his knees to turn the bathtub faucet clockwise.

A thick stream of water flowed out of the nozzle and splattered into the tub noisily. Mana adjusted another knob to the left of the one he just turned, sticking his other hand under the falling water to test the temperature.

A bath. Allen could hardly remember how refreshing a bath was. His silver eyes lit up more then they already were. He padded over to Mana's side and sat on his knees, watching the tub fill up with water. He stuck his right hand into the water, smiling and nearly melting at the warm temperature. Seeing the child smile made the ravenette smile back in return. He watched as the boy pulled his hand back out of the water, still smiling. The whitette didn't realize how contagious his smiles could really be.

When the bath had been filled up enough, Mana turned the knob on the right counter-clockwise. The water slowed and dripped a bit before coming to a complete stop. The older man rose from his knees and back onto his feet, Allen was keen on staring at his reflection on the water's clear surface, sometimes swirling his left index finger in the water to send ripples through the image.

"I'm going to grab you a spare change of clothes. Don't do anything until I get back, okay, Allen?" Mana inquired as he stood by the door frame, looking back at the white haired child.

"Uh-huh." The boy responded, continuing to swirl his red finger around in the water.

Mana disappeared from the doorway and out of sight. Allen could still hear him shuffle about, however. He heard a light switch flick on, a door sliding open. He heard a few hangers scrape against a pole they were probably hanging from. He heard the man mutter something, sliding the door closed again. He heard a dresser drawer slide open, heard the man rummage through it. The drawer slid back closed and he heard him softly stomp his way back.

When the white haired boy popped his head up from the water, he saw Mana standing there with some white fabric folded up in his arms. He further entered the small room and sat the clothes down on the tile next to the bathtub.

"Alright, there's plenty of soap left for you to use. I'll be in the living room if you need me." Mana directed. He then backed out of the room and shut the white door behind him.

Allen's eyes broke away from the door and he stood up. He wiggled his way out of the dirty shorts and set them to the other side of his body. He pulled the large and grimy shirt over his head and put that to the side as well. Lastly, he took off the tattered socks and all but jumped into the bath, sloshing the water and causing a large _splash_ noise to follow suit.

He snuggled into the warm water, smiling even more so by this point. Just _sitting _in the water already made him feel cleaner. He plugged his nose and sunk his head under the water for a brief moment to get it nice and wet. He emerged from the water flicking his hair side-to-side, spraying loose water drops over the edges of the porcelain tub. Looking over to his left against the tile wall, some shampoos and bars of soap sat undisturbed against the thick rim of the tub.

Allen grabbed the shampoo bottle and popped it open, squeezing the light pink contents into the palm of his right hand. He slabbed it into his hair and scrubbed furiously, broken fingernails scratching up his head a bit. When the first layer of shampoo was nice and lathered as pink foam atop his head, he added a second layer to rinse the grime straight out of his hair. He slabbed that layer into his hair to give it a deeper clean. By the time he was done with that, frothy pink suds sat against his head.

He gently eased his head back into the still warm water and massaged the clingy soap and grime from his hair. When every last sud had been removed, he brought his head up and shook it a bit so little soapy water droplets wouldn't sting his eyes. He grabbed the off-white bar of soap, lathering a small layer in his hands before covering his body with it.

When he was nice and soapy, his hands helped the water rinse it all back off, taking the dirt and grime straight with it. The once clear water was now a mixture of light brown and sudsy pink with a few soap bubbles here and there. It was almost like he was bathing in chocolate and strawberry birthday cake mixture. He spent a minute soaking in the warm water, either for comfort or added cleanliness, even he did not know.

Then he hopped out of the bath after pulling a small lever to drain the water. He glanced about the small room for a bit, looking for something besides his old clothes to dry off with. His silver eyes spotted a light brown towel hanging off a rack on the other side of the tub. He yanked it down and wrapped it around himself, enjoying how soft it felt against his clean creamy white skin.

After drying his body off with it, he used it to squeeze out excess water hanging from his hair. Then he ruffled it up to add volume and extra dryness. When he was finished with the towel, he hung it back up where it went, then approached the clean clothes laying by the tub.

The clothes were very large, but that was to be expected. Among the mix of clothes, there was a white tank top that fit him more like a baggy shirt and a small pair of black cotton shorts with a draw string. To keep them from slipping off, the whitette had to tie the string as tight as he could. Even then it was still loose on him. The shorts fit him more like pants, the ends tapering down to his ankles.

When Allen was finished in the bathroom, he opened up the door and shut the light off. He scuffled his way back to the living room where Mana said he would be. Said man was exactly where he directed he'd be. He was sitting comfortably against the chair on the right, a book pulled up near his eyes. He looked so content with his book that Allen suddenly didn't want to interrupt him. He fidgeted for a moment, unsure of what to do now.

"Mm..." He muttered uncertainly, silver eyes looking down as his fingers went back to wringing themselves out again.

Mana's head perked up at the soft sound. When he saw Allen standing idly in the hall fidgeting, he set his book down and stood up from his chair, popping his back once. He walked over to the small child with a smile on his face. The white haired boy had dropped the uncertainty in his eyes and posture and he returned the soft smile.

"How was the bath?" The ravenette asked.

"Mm! Great!" Allen responded happily, eyes and smile brightening.

"That's good. I'm sorry if the clothes are too big. Those were the smallest things I had." Mana responded, almost sheepishly in a way.

"It's okay. I like them." The white haired boy softly exclaimed.

"Good. Well then..." the older man began, glancing over at a clock resting above the fireplace. "...It's nine-thirty now. I'd say that's a good bedtime for you." He finished up with a grin.

He walked around the child in front of him and began to lead the way to the room at the end of the hall. Yet, he did not hear the child scuffling behind him. He turned around to see that the boy had not moved an inch, but his expression had changed. He was looking down at the ground and fidgeting again. Even from the fifteen foot distance, Mana could tell he was blushing. With a soft smile, he returned back to the boy's side.

"What is it?" He asked gently, resting his hand on the small white haired head in front of him.

"Umm...Could you...Mm..." Allen stammered, his blush intensifying a few shades darker, making the color of his red facial mark look more predominant.

Then Mana smiled kind of an all knowing smile. "You want me to pick you up again, don't you?" He inquired, brown eyes glimmering.

"Mm-hm." Allen softly admitted, looking up through his bangs in a bashful manner.

The ravenette gently crouched down just enough to pick the six year old up. He wrapped his large, yet careful, hands around the child's middle and hoisted him up into his arms. The young one instantly snuggled up against him, nuzzling his face against the man's shoulder. With that, Mana carried Allen to the bedroom in the far end of the house. Thankfully, the light in the hallway was bright enough to see into the room they had just stepped into. Allen turned his head to see what this room looked like.

It was relatively small, but the whitette didn't mind. There was a small twin sized bed against the far corner. It was adorned in a pastel colored quilt and sported a silver finished brass headboard. A small nightstand sat next to the bed, a small lamp and clock rested on top of the hard wood surface. Across the bed was a small white wooden door that had to lead into the closet. There was a small ceiling fan centered in the middle of the ceiling. It was currently switched off. There was a window on the wall next to the closet. There were white blinds hung over it and they were closed.

The carpet and walls were the same as the living room. Except in this room there was a picture or two hanging here and there. One was of a mighty lion and an innocent lamb in front of it, but it looked like the lion was _protecting _the lamb. That picture rested above his bed. Another picture was a sunset over the ocean, the golden colors clashing with the cool colors and mixing very nicely. That picture was situated on the wall across from his bed, centered in the middle of the wall.

"This is the spare bedroom. I know it's a bit stiff looking, but I figured you could use it for now." Mana explained, his own brown eyes glancing around the room like the six-year old was currently doing.

"It's okay, I think it looks nice." Allen responded with a little grin tugging at the corners of his lips as his curious slate eyes settled on the bed.

It was strange, he hadn't felt tired a few minutes ago. But now here he was, feeling drowsy all over again. Another long and drawled yawn crawled out of his mouth and lingered for a few moments before he closed it off. Moisture pricked at the corners of his eyes from how wide he had opened his mouth from said yawn. He blinked back the warm liquid from his eyes, then rubbed them as his eyelids began to grow heavy.

Taking the small subtle hints the whitette didn't realize he was giving off, Mana took a few steps closer to the bed until he was right beside the small mattress. The hand that was currently supporting the child's back was pulled away long enough for the ravenette to pull back the few layers of covers that garnished the bed. He returned his hand to the boy's back to help lay him down onto the bed. He pulled his hands away from the child and pulled the covers over his small body.

"Good night, Allen." Mana spoke tenderly, running his left hand through the white locks below him soothingly.

"G'night, Mana." Allen mimicked back, yawning while speaking the ravenette's name.

"If you need anything, do not hesitate to wake me." The older man informed.

Then the ravenette pulled away from the bed and walked towards the door. He paused momentarily at the door frame, flicking a switch that was right next to the one that worked the lights. The ceiling fan in the center of the room slowly began to spin to life, keeping a slow and steady speed. A light wind created by said fan was used to keep the whitette cool as he slept under thick covers. He then cracked the bedroom door and disappeared down the hall, turning off the light when he reached the end.

He tried to fall asleep. He really did try. But for some reason, now that he was laying down, he found it hard for his mind to settle down long enough to let him sleep. So for a few moments, Allen laid there. He stared at the ceiling fan swirling slowly, stared at the clock, stared at his odd left arm. He stared at the painting behind him, the one on the wall in front of him, stared at the foot of the bed. He shifted many times, trying to get comfortable.

No matter how he layed or how long he kept his silvery eyes shut, he could not sleep. He soon came to the conclusion that his bed was too _soft._ He sat up from the bed and slowly removed himself from it. The mattress creaked as he slowly stood up. He grabbed the quilt on the top of the bed and dragged it away from the clutches of the other sheets. He wrapped himself up in it and spotted a nice empty corner to wedge himself into near the foot of his bed.

He padded his way over to the little corner, turned on his heel and pressed his back against it. He slowly slid down, knees curling to gently touch his chest when he sat down all the way. He nestled a little further into the corner, resting his head into the groove where the two bedroom walls met. It wasn't like sleeping against the brick walls or vegetable crates like he was used to, but it would suffice. He was then able to slip into a dreamless sleep, just like he did every night before now.

* * *

A/N: And there's chapter two for all of you! Wow! I honestly did not mean for this chapter to turn out so long! But it did in the end XD  
I give many thanks and virtual cookies to all that have shown their support so far! I hope you guys will continue to enjoy future chapters of this story and the many roads it may travel! Oh, don't forget to leave some feedback! To quote another author:

"Follows are my drink, favorites are my food, and reviews are my life force." XD

With that, I shall bid you farewell for now and shall see you all in the next installment!

_*Windows 8 installment has crashed, please wait for us to fix the problem*_  
(Bulging vein)  
*_Tosses Windows 8 computer out a two-story window*_

Millennium Earl: 3

Zimmy: Shut up, Earl!

~Ciao!


	3. Act 3: Break Down

Okie-Dokie! Here's chapter three of 'Requiem for the Lost and Damned' up and ready to read! :D I hope you guys have enjoyed the last two chapters and I hope you will continue to enjoy the story! With that, I'll end this here, Happy reading! :)

* * *

~Act 3: Break Down My Walls~

Morning sun slowly filtered through the tiny cracks in between the white blinds in front of Mana's bedroom window. The soft yellow light washed over the shaggy carpet and draped over the far wall. The shadows of leaves on trees fluttered in front of the sun for a few brief moments before disappearing from the line of the window. The ravenette slowly cracked his eyes open, his vision bleary with sleep. He groaned in a heavy fashion and yawned a large lofty yawn.

He slowly sat up in his bed, right hand wiping over his heavy eyelids. The force against his closed eye caused the organ to water up slightly, adding more moisture and hydration. The covers draped sloppily over his body kept him warm and content, so comfortable that he almost didn't want to get up this morning. Then the events from last night came back as the fog in his brain from heavy sleep began to dissipate.

He remembered sipping his coffee in the cafe, going the wrong way when a strong drive urged him in that direction, and finding Allen there. He remembered the savage look in the boy's eyes of slate silver, the tears stained to his cheeks, and the dirty clothes that swallowed his lithe frame. It was hard to believe that all of that had happened in only one evening. Only one day had gone by since then, yet it felt like so many more had drained away.

His right hand balled up the silky slate blue sheets covering his body and pulled them over to the side. Cold morning air rushed to greet the rest of his body and it caused him to shiver ever so slightly. He slowly edged himself off his warm bed and onto his own two feet. His entire body felt heavy like lead and groggy as if he hadn't slept at all the night before. Mornings tended to be a bit slow for him, but within a matter of five minutes he'd be alert once more.

He stretched his arms over his head, a satisfying _crick _sound popping from his shoulder blades and upper back. Stretching stiff muscles in the mornings always felt pleasant and helped to speed up the 'getting up for the day' process. His less heavy eyes glanced over towards the master bathroom situated on the left side of his bedroom, close to his queen sized bed.

He dragged his body towards the bathroom, his bottom half not feeling quite so awake as his upper half. He flicked on a small light switch on the right side of the wall. The small room lit up without delay or any kind of flickering. The bulb hanging in the middle of the ceiling light had been changed out just a mere three days ago, washing the room in a much more brighter light than expected.

Mana squinted softly as he padded his way over and stood in front of the sink. The granet finish on this sink was the same as the one in the other bathroom: A deep green color. In fact, this bathroom looked just like the one down the hall, except instead of a bathtub, there was just a small shower stall. Funny how the master bath was more of a downgrade compared to the guest bath. He turned the handle for the hot water on and a soft stream of water flowed out of the gold colored nozzle.

It took a few moments before steam slowly began to rise from the porcelain white sink. When the correct temperature had been reached, the ravenette man dipped his hands under the water to wet his hands. He cupped his large hands and created a small pool of steamy warm water in his hands. He hung his face down close to the sink and splashed the warm water on his face. He flicked a few drops that clung to his hair and mustache away.

He then turned the handle back to its original position and the water gently slowed and stopped with a few drips. He grabbed a fluffy jade green hand towel, patting his hands on it before gently using it to wipe the water from his face. He turned out of light in the bathroom and stepped back out into his bedroom. He let one last yawn slide out of his mouth before he walked over to his bedroom door that lead into the narrow hallway. He flicked a switch by the door and a ceiling fan above slowly began to stop.

He stepped out of his bedroom, keeping the white painted door open. His deep brown eyes glanced over to the left, where Allen's room was now. He began to make his way towards the cracked bedroom door. When he paused in front of it, he slowly eased the door open just enough to glance in. He noticed that the bed was empty and the quilt was missing as well.

For some reason, _panic _began to slowly set in. It started as a funny feeling in his stomach, then turned into a lead weight that seemed to sink down to his intestines. He eased himself in a little more, almond brown eyes wider than usual as his heart began to pitter-patter harder in his chest. He exhaled a long sigh of relief when he located the six-year old.

Allen was curled into the quilt, nestled into the far corner of the room fast asleep. Although this did get Mana's curiosity going. Why would he choose to sleep against the wall, rather than sleep in a nice and comfortable bed? The whitette muttered something in his sleep, then his head dropped into his knees as a soft snore echoed from the back of his throat.

'_He must still be out of it.' _Mana thought for a brief moment. A thin but wide smile spread across his face at the sight of the tired child.

He hardly even knew Allen, but for some unexplainable reason, he just felt so _drawn _to the boy. He wanted to see him smile and laugh more, wanted to make him as happy as he could possibly be, give him a loving home. He wanted to give him everything he had. It really was a strange and foriegn feeling, but Mana wanted to embrace it for all it was worth. It was almost like the whitette was his own flesh and blood.

He gently eased his way back out of the boy's room, making sure to crack the door back to the way it was before he had entered. A low grumble from the bottom of his stomach informed him that he was hungry. He figured he could make a big and delicious breakfast for himself and the child he took in. He was going to put his heart into it to make sure that the boy felt very warm and welcomed.

So he creeped his way quietly to the kitchen to get started.

* * *

Allen's eyelids felt like they had been glued together when he came to. Even though he was awake, dried mucus caked the corners and edges of his eyes, keeping them shut tight. He moaned in slight annoyance as he wiped at his eyes roughly with the heels of his palms. He was able to rub the crusties off the edges of his eyes and was able to open them. His vision was blurred with sleep and heaviness. He blinked rapidly a few times to refocus his line of sight.

Realizing he was still curled up as he was when he felt asleep, he straightened his back and let his legs stretch out and rest against the floor. His arms shot above his head as he stretched. A big yawn followed his suit and he arched his back into it. When he relaxed again, he already felt more refreshed and awake. The quilt swarming his body had slacked in his stretch, leaving most of his clothed torso exposed to the cool morning air. He shivered slightly as a few goosebumps rose across his arms.

He used his hands to rub them away, causing a slight amount of heat to form with friction. Another yawn slipped past his lips, catching him off guard as a loud sigh followed with it. Just as he was finally fully awake, his nose caught the scent of something sweet wafting in through the cracked bedroom door. He tenderly sniffed at the air around him, intensifying the sweet smell by two. It smelled so good it caused him to salivate and his stomach growled loudly, demanding to be fed.

He licked his dry lips and unraveled himself from the warm clutches of the pastel colored quilt. When he was free, he stood up and stretched again. His legs felt a bit heavy this morning, probably stiff from sleeping with his knees up all night. He padded over to the cracked bedroom door and opened it up all the way. The sweet smell grew stronger when the door was fully open. His stomach growled louder, slamming against the wall of his abdominal cavity in hopes of escaping and getting at the source of that delicious smell.

He skittered down the hall, peeking his head out as his hands gripped the open frame where a door could be placed, but lacked one. Mana was in the kitchen cooking up the sweet smelling stuff. His stomach seemed to take charge of his brain because before he knew it, his feet were moving towards the kitchen without having any time to process that he was actually moving. By the time his brain caught up with his legs, he was right in front of the peninsula separating the kitchen from the living room.

He pulled back the bar stool on the right and hopped onto the wooden stool. He sat on his knees, leaning his small body over the counter as his silver eyes looked into the kitchen. The ravenette was still dressed in his pajamas: Navy blue long sleeved shirt and pants of the same hue accompanying it. His short spiky hair looked to be even more of a mess after sleep, but the whitette knew he wasn't any better off. He was currently seasoning something cooking in a black cast iron skillet.

Allen then developed a sudden tickle in the back of his nose from one of the more spicier smelling seasonings. His face scrunched up as he felt a sneeze trying to generate. Yet as much as he tried to scrunch his face up, a sneeze sounding more like a _ktch _noise then a _chu_ noise sputtered out of his mouth. A few drops of spit were then present on his deformed left hand and on the counter as well.

Mana turned towards the sound, only to find himself smiling. A few chuckles rumbled from the back of his throat as he saw the young whitette try to rub the few splotches of spit off the counter with his red left hand, only to rub them further in. His right hand wiped at his nose and his eyes snapped up towards the ravenette when he heard the deep laughter.

"Good morning, Allen." Mana greeted, a smile still etched across his face as he continued to cook.

"Morning." Allen greeted back, arm now covering the small spot he had sneezed on as if he was embarrassed about it.

"I couldn't help but notice that you were sleeping against the wall when I came in to check on you earlier. Everything alright?" The ravenette asked, a small amount of concern laced into his voice as he added another pinch of seasonings into the skillet.

"Oh, um...The bed was too soft. I'll get used to it soon..." Allen muttered, averting his eyes as he stared down at his left arm.

"No need to feel ashamed, it's alright." Mana responded softly, hoping to take away the awkward air surrounding the boy.

"Mm-kay." The whitette spoke quietly, keeping his eyes away.

It was silent between the two for some time after that. The six-year old continued to sit at the peninsula though and from time-to-time, would glance over and watch the ravenette cook diligently. He'd throw spices in here, sprinkle some sugar there, add a pinch of this to that and a splash of that over there. There were so many different types of smells in the air that Allen almost couldn't bear to sit through them all with how loud his stomach was now growling.

Then the scents in the air began to dull. The whitette popped his head up to see that Mana was setting large white plate of food down onto the small table across from him. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he saw all that good looking food. It was a wonderful array of almost every breakfast item that the six-year old could think of.

Two tall stacks of pancakes and waffles sat on the same plate in the middle of the table. Surrounding the large plate were smaller ones loaded with just as much deliciousness as the large plate. They were arranged like the face of a clock: Omlettes at twelve, sausage at three, bacon at six, and toast with two different jams sat at nine. Two glass cups were situated at either end of the circular table. One was filled to the brim with milk while the second one was halfway full of what appeared to be apple juice.

Allen couldn't stop a thick string of drool from slipping past his lips and landing on his right hand. He snapped out of his stare when he felt the warm and liquid substance trickle down the back of his hand. He looked down and slightly cringed, looking a bit on the disgusted side. He used his left hand to try and wipe it away, only to have it further smear into his hand. He sneakily wiped his spitty hand against the shorts he was borrowing.

Mana approached the table again, setting down a bottle of syrup beside the large plate with the waffles and pancakes on it. He turned on his heel slightly, smiling at the whitette softly.

"Well? It's not going to eat itself, you know." The ravenette joked as he pulled out the chair on the right out for the boy to sit on.

Allen all but scrambled off the bar stool and sprinted towards the table with all the succulent looking food. His eyes were back to bugging out as he took in all the soft and creamy looking colors. He nestled himself into the wooden chair, getting comfy as a fork and knife were laid on either side of his currently empty plate.

Mana took his seat on the other end of the table, situating himself as well. When the ravenette looked towards the whitette, he noticed that he was being eagerly stared at. Silver eyes glanced from him, to the food, then back to him again as a wicked smile curled across the corners of his lips.

"Don't wait for me, help yourself. I hope you like it." Mana spoke, a soft chuckle following suit. Watching the way he was eagerly staring at the food was almost to the equivalent of any other child opening a gift on their birthday.

Not waiting any longer, Allen dove in. He started off by loading three large waffles and three large pancakes onto his large plate. He reached over, stretching his left arm as his red fingers curled around the plastic handle of the syrup bottle. He scooted it back to him and popped the red cap open. He dumped the thick substance all over the breakfast food, nearly drowning the poor and innocent inanimate food.

He popped the cap back into place and scooted the bottle back where it went, pulling the bacon to him next. He took four extra crispy pieces and set them on top of his sticky pancakes. He pushed that plate back and reached for the sausages, grabbing two of those straight off the plate and dumping those onto the sticky waffles, rather than the pancakes.

He then reached over, resting his stomach on the table as his left arm stretched across the table and took hold of the plate containing the scrumptious looking omlettes. He took one of the fluffiest looking ones by stabbing it with his fork and dragging it back to his plate that was starting to resemble some scientific experimentation gone wrong.

(And somewhere in the world, a young Komui sneezed.)

He then loaded three pieces of triangular shaped toast and tossed those on to the heaping mass of food. Once he had his plate assembled, his nodded his head for emphasis as a determined grin pulled at the right corner of his bow-shaped lips. He slapped his hands together quickly, a loud _clap _following suit as he tucked his head down and closed his eyes.

"God is good, God is great. I love food and bright sunny days!" He lifted his head back up after his quick and rather goofy prayer and began to dig in.

Mana still couldn't help but continue to smile. The child still had table manners and proper etiquette. The woman that raised him before she died must have been very caring and wonderful. When he went to go serve himself, he realized that most of the food had already been claimed by Allen. Two waffles and pancakes remained, two bacon strips, two sausages, and one omlette and one piece of toast. Did the child always eat like this? It was hard to believe seeing as you can't get a lot of food while on the streets.

Even more surprising was the fact that by the time Mana had only finished half of his breakfast, Allen was already done. His plate had been entirely licked clean, not even traces of syrup residue remained. He had the brightest smile on his face that the ravenette had ever seen. There was a soft pink glow radiating from his cheeks as he smiled in Mana's direction. The pink glow bounced from the whitette to the ravenette and soon they were both glowing faintly.

The six-year old even had enough patience to wait at the table until Mana finished eating. The ravenette gathered up all the dishes he could, leaving two behind since his arms had been filled. The child had been kind enough to grab the plates and take them over to the sink. He even stood by and watched as the older man washed the dishes diligently. Feeling a bit playful, Mana scooped a small handful of frothy dish soap bubbles in his right hand. Then he quickly smeared the bubbles over Allen's left cheek.

The whitette stood there with a blank expression on his face for a moment, a few more watery bubbles dripping off his chin. Then he broke out into a huge grin and began to laugh like he had never laughed before. This caused the ravenette to join the child in happy laughing. When his own guard was down, The boy wiped the bubbles from his face and slapped them onto Mana's left hand, taking a few seconds to actually rub the bubbles in before dashing away quickly.

"You can't run from me, Allen!" Mana playfully exclaimed, following after the white- haired boy's trail.

He saw the boy duck behind one of the white chairs, a bit of his own hair of near equal hue poking out a bit. The large ravenette sprinted over and slid to his knees, gently and playfully tackling the lithe six-year old to the soft carpet below. Showing no mercy, he began to tickle the young one on his unprotected sides. The child burst into a fit of high-pitched laughter, squirming and squealing wildly.

"n-No Mana, s-St-hahaha- stop it! Ahaha!" Allen cried, trying to speak in between his mad fits of laughter.

"Do you surrender?" Mana inquired elfishly as he continued the assault on the boy's sides.

"I do! Haha, I do!" Allen quickly agreed, trying to roll over and escape on his own before admitting a complete defeat.

The tickling then seiced, leaving the white-haired boy time to sit up and catch lost breaths. His small face was flushed pink from earlier fluster. The red pentagram mark on the left side of his face deepened in color the longer the boy blushed.

"You wait in the living room for a bit, okay?" Mana directed as he stood back up on his feet.

"Uh, sure. But where are you going?" Allen asked, the smile from his face gone as the look of puzzlement overcame it instead.

"I have to get ready for the day. You and I are going out." Mana informed as he made his way to his bedroom to get changed.

Wait, _go out? _As in _leave the safety of the house!? _Allen's eyes widened. Why did they have to leave? Why couldn't they just stay inside today? He was nowhere _near _ready to leave the comforting confinement he willingly put himself in! His widened eyes snapped to his deformed left arm. Didn't Mana know that he was rejected mostly because of this stupid arm of his? He didn't want to see looks of disgust on faces of the public! That's why he hid in an ally all that time, so no one would ever look down on him or make fun of him again. And now, they were going to _go back outside?_

_'Nu-uh, no way! I am __**not**__ going outside again!' _Allen thought, scrambling up to his feet as he ran out of the living room and to the safety of his bedroom. He hurried in and shut the door behind him, closing it completely instead of leaving it cracked.

He caught sight of the quilt heaped against the corner he had slept in last night. He scurried over and balled it up in his hands. He then rushed towards the closet door, swinging it open and closing it behind him. Complete darkness choked his sight, but he didn't care. The darkness was _much _better than going back outside again. He wrapped the thick quilt around his body, then scooted his body across the wall until he connected with a corner. He slouched to the ground and was content on staying there for the rest of the day.

He was _not _going. He was going to stay here. Whatever Mana needed to do, he could go do by himself! He tightened the blanket's grip around his body, snuggling into it further. He hung his head down, burying it into the quilt. He might as well have stayed on the streets. It was cruel, why would Mana get him used to feeling accepted and comfortable again, only to throw him back out where he was the exact opposite of okay?

He continued to keep his head down as his inner thoughts and fears screamed at him from inside the darkness of both the closet, and the depths of his heart.

"Allen? Where are you?" Mana called from the living room.

The whitette kept quiet, beginning to gnaw on his bottom lip. He heard the heavy steps of the ravenette clunk around the living room, searching for him. He heard those steps echo in the hallway, pause for a moment, then make their way towards his bedroom door.

The six-year old scrunched his eyes shut tight when he heard the bedroom door open. He figured if he had his eyes closed, it would somehow keep the man from finding him. Keep him from taking him outside. Just leave him here. But the thoughts were in vain and foolish to begin with because before he knew it, the closet creaked open. For some reason, it made the boy open his eyes without his brain telling him to do so.

"There you are, Allen. Why on earth are you hiding in the closet?" Mana sweetly asked, kneeling down in front of the whitette.

Instead of explaining his fears calmly and collectively to the ravenette, he lashed out instead, resorting to his violence like he had done before in this same situation.

"I'm _not _going back!" He cried, tears beginning to swell thickly in his silver eyes.

"Hey, calm down. Please just tell me-" Mana began, reaching his hand out to try and console the child.

However, Allen used his deformed left arm and smacked the ravenette's hand away from him. Mana withdrew his hand, memories flickering back to when the boy had first smacked his hand away. Fire licked behind his usual bland eyes of slate silver, but those billowing tears just made him look more pitiful than angry.

"It's alright child." The ravenette spoke, reaching for him with both arms this time.

**"No! I'm not going to be left behind out there again! I don't wanna leave! Don't make me go, please!" **Allen screeched, thick tears finally blobbing out of his eyes and cascading down his red-flushed face.

Mana just pulled him into a tight embrace, much like the first time they had met. But this time, there was more love behind this one, more security. Instead of lashing out again, the whitette cried and sobbed against the older man as he felt the mixture of feelings swelling inside both him and the man holding him. Little hands gripped the sleeves of his shirt tightly as he howled in his sorrow.

One large hand gently ran through Allen's soft snow white hair while the other one curled around him tighter, holding him closer. The young child continued to scream and cry, warm and salty tears dripping from his cheekbones to his lips or dribble down his chin like transparent little creeks.

"Hush child. It's alright. You aren't going to be left alone outside, I promise." Mana tenderly spoke, right hand continuing to run through the white hair below him.

He allowed Allen to continue crying and sobbing against him. Even after his little voice gave out and he could no longer wail or scream, tears continued to squeeze from his eyes. Mana kept holding him tight, never letting up or letting go once. He only let go when the whitette pulled back after what had to be a good straight five minutes of screaming. Tears appeared to be stained to his cheeks, his entire face flushed a deep rose red. He sniffed thickly, pulling back mucus.

"Listen to me, Allen. We're not going outside for me to leave you behind or to have others ridicule you. We're going outside because we need to get you clothes that fit you and all of the other little necessities you need while living with me." Mana explained as best as he could to the little one below him.

"y-You mean you _aren't _going to leave me behind?" Allen whimpered, sniffing thickly once more.

"Of course not. I told you I was going to look after you from now on, and that's what I plan on doing for as long as I can." The ravenette spoke truthfully and sincerely.

Then Allen smiled as he hugged him tightly. He was afraid that if they went outside, then Mana would change his mind about taking him in and would just dump him back in that ally again. After realizing that not all humans were like his real parents, he wanted to start loving and trusting again. He wanted to be accepted by whoever wanted to accept him, looking past all of his deformities. To be loved right and treated fairly, even with all of his deformities.

And with Mana, he had that. And he was _never_ going to let that feeling go.

* * *

A/N: And I'll be ending this little number right here :) I know it's probably not as long as the last chapter or maybe even the first one, but I hope you guys still liked it! If you did, don't forget to drop me a review! To quote another Author:

"Follows are my drink, favorites are my food, and reviews are my life force." XD

With that, I bid you all audeiux until the next installment!

_*Would you like to install the updated version of Internet Explorer?*_  
Zimmy: Oh God! Absolutely not! _*Clicks insanely on the 'x' button*_  
_*Thank you for installing!*_  
_*Glares over at Millennium Earl savagely* _"Did you make that 'x' button an accept option?"  
Millennium Earl: Perhaps! 3  
Mojo-jojo: That is the most evilest thing I can imagine!..." _*Happy tears*_

~Toodles!


	4. Act 4: Snow Globe City

Hello all! And welcome to the forth chapter of Requiem! I decided to shorten it right there so it wouldn't be such a mouthful X3 I hope you all will enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! So I'll end this lil' note up here, Happy reading! :)

* * *

~Act 4: Snow globe City pt.1~

Allen watched curiously as Mana began to dig through a few cabinets in the kitchen. The white haired boy sat perched atop one of the peninsula bar stools. His elbows were propped up on the counter while his full face sat in his hands. His silvery eyes followed the ravenette's every movement as he shuffled about the small kitchen. A drawer was left open here and there and even one of the overhead cabinets was left hanging wide open. The older man almost smacked into it a few times as he continued his search.

"Mana, what're you looking for?" Allen inquired as his curiosity finally got the better of him. He lifted his face from his hands and leaned further over the large counter top. His arms dug into his chest as he leaned against them, peering his head further into the kitchen hanging his head sideways, white hair falling with.

"Something to use to cover up your arm when we go out." The man explained, shutting the overhead cabinet as he almost smacked into it again.

He re-checked one of the open counter drawers closer towards the stove, humming in thought. Where could he have put that silly thing? A light bulb went off in Mana's head as he finally remembered where the item he was searching for was. He approached the island counter that Allen was resting against and popped open the cabinet doors on the other side. He dug through a few phone books and writing utensils before finally finding what he was looking for. He stood back up to full height and showed it to the boy.

"An oven mitt?" Allen asked, his bottom eyelid raising up under his left eye as his right eyebrow cocked in his confusion, giving off a puzzled look.

Said mitt was a soft blue, looking like it would swallow the boy's hand if he stuck it in there. It was a glove fit for Mana, but for himself, it'd easily ascend to the middle of his forearm. But if it was to cover up his disgusting looking arm, then he supposed it'd work just fine.

"Yes, an oven mitt. I figured this would be better than nothing." Mana responded, making his way around the peninsula counter to stand beside the bar stool the whitette was perched atop. He gently tucked the mitt under his arm and reached out his large hands.

With a careful hold, he gently took a hold of Allen's red hand, feeling the rough and near gritty texture in his own bare hands. The way it looked and felt made the appearance of his arm and hand look like blood red fish scales, maybe even scales of a snake or lizard. But then again, scales were scales in the end. The white haired boy looked up into Mana's own almond brown eyes with uncertainty laced within his own.

That uncertainty caused Allen to tear his hand away from Mana's own. His normal hand curled around his mutated one and he pulled it close to his chest, suddenly afraid all over again.

"It's not my fault it feels like that..." The six-year old whined pitifully, looking down at the accursed limb with watery eyes.

"Of course it's not, my child." Mana responded, gently sliding his hands under the boy's arms as he lifted him up from the bar stool.

With strong arms, he pulled the little one close to his chest. One hand supported the child's weight by the back of his clothed legs while the other began to play with a few white locks of hair on his head in a sweet and soothing manner. He made sure he kept his right arm close to his torso so the mitt would not slip to the ground. He pulled his hand back and rested his chin atop the boy's head, closing his eyes for only a moment. When he heard the faintest hiccup from the boy in his arms, he gently hushed him without even realizing he had done so.

"You think my arm is ugly too, don't you, Mana?" Allen whined, burying his face further into the navy blue pajama shirt the older male was clothed in.

The ravenette could feel a few hot tears soak through the cotton fabric of his night-shirt. That alone just made his chest ache, his heart beating a bit firmer than usual as it seemed to tighten up. His throat did the same. He didn't like hearing the whitette talk like that, so down-cast and negative. He didn't like hearing the little one cry, it made him terribly uneasy.

"No, no, no... I don't think your arm is ugly at all. It's just, unique." Mana consoled as his arms wrapped around the child even tighter than before. He even began to bounce and rock the boy in his arms to try and calm him down before he could grow even more upset.

"Uni-qe?" Allen mimicked with small difficulty as he tried to pronounce the word, tearing his face away and looking up at the ravenette as he asked.

His silver eyes were billowing with thick and fat tears, the skin around slightly inflamed. A few tracks had already slid down his cheeks and created a path for the other salty counterparts to follow. His face was flushed a rosy red near the cheeks and eyes, only enhancing the nearly transparent tear tracks.

"It means that your arm is different, no, special. Yes, you have a very special arm, Allen." Mana explained, a soft smile pulled at the corners of his lips when he said the word special.

Allen tore his eyes away from the ravenette and looked towards his rough red hand, flexing his fingers and staring at the cross shaped thing embedded in the back of his hand.

"My arm is...Special." Allen spoke softly to himself, continuing to observe it intently. His silver eyes then glanced back up at the ravenette, near urgency burning through those slate orbs. "Special is good, right?" He quickly asked with almost a panicky tone.

"Yes, special is good." Mana responded, his smile growing a little wider as he saw those watery eyes beginning to clear up.

He used his right thumb to brush away the wet traces of old tears caked against the child's face. When he saw Allen start grinning softly again, that tight feeling in his throat and chest subsided and a lulling sense of comfort replaced it. He then pulled the child away from him and set him back down on the pine colored bar stool.

He grabbed the tucked away oven mitt from under his arm and held it in his left hand. Once more with sturdy hands, Mana took the whitette's red hand back into his own. The child did not pull his hand away hastily, but allowed the man to continue holding it like so. With a quick and fluid motion, the blue oven mitt was slipped on to the whitette's right hand, ascending halfway to his forearm when it was adjusted properly.

Allen's silver eyes quickly scanned the mitt engulfing his hand and arm, twisting his wrist back and forth to study every inch of the material. A little grin pulled at the corners of his lips as he continued to twist his wrist. His other hand gripped the right edge of the bar stool he was sitting on, little fingers curling around the edge and slightly underneath it. His feet were propped up against a rung that held the legs of the stool in one place.

"Alright, you wait here while I get ready myself." Mana told the whitette, parting his side with a quick and affectionate stroke of the head, a few locks of snow white hair sticking to his bare fingers with the help of static electricity.

"Uh-huh..." Allen blandly responded, to engrossed in twisting his wrist and watching the oven mitt move with his hand to look up at the older male.

The ravenette grinned before parting with the child on the bar stool. He walked across the rather warm living room and towards his bedroom. The white door was still left wide open, and upon entering said room, he shut the door for a small amount of privacy as he changed. He quickly strode to his closet door, popping it open and browsing through his clothes, opting to wear something thick and warm today. Word of mouth said there was going to be snow this afternoon.

He settled on a white button up long sleeve shirt with a black vest to complete the ensemble. For pants, he chose some loose black slacks hanging idly next to a few heavy winter coats. He stepped away from the door with the articles of clothing in hand. He walked over to the queen sized bed adorned in slate blue sheets, setting the fresh change of clothes down on to it. He swiftly unbuttoned his pajama shirt and folded it up before setting it next to the other pile of clothes.

He slipped into the white long sleeved shirt, making sure to properly button it up, sleeve cuffs, neck collar and all. He then slipped the vest over the shirt, fastening that diligently as well, tugging on the bottom of it and side-to-side to get the article of clothing to fit him better. He stripped from the blue pajama pants and folded those up just like he did with the shirt. He gently set the folded material next to the accompanying piece.

He almost toppled over when sticking his right leg through the wrong side of the pants, but ended up managing successful after a quick save of his balance. He dusted off his pants and the shoulders of his shirt, smoothing out the faintest traces of wrinkles that had once been nestled into the fabric. When he seemed pleased enough with his now wrinkle-less outfit, he shuffled back over to the bedroom door and swung it open quietly. As he left the room, he left the white door open and retreated back to the living room.

Allen had both hands gripping the edges of the bar stool and was kicking his legs up and down, humming a small tune softly as he waited. When he heard muffled footsteps, the whitette looked up as a large smile overcame his face. The natural flush of pink that accompanied his smile seemed to make him radiate his glee. The pentagram mark that slit across his eye flourished a deeper shade as well it seemed.

"Are you ready?" Mana asked, a grin slithering across his own face at the sight of the child's own.

"Mm-hmm." Allen responded, hopping off the stool and hurrying over to the ravenette's side.

The six-year old followed the twenty-eight year old towards the front door of the house. He watched with his silver eyes as the older male swung on his heavy coat like it was a cape. He picked up his hat and spun it in his hands for a moment before setting it atop his head. He then slipped on his black polished shoes sitting idly by the coat rack. Then the ravenette looked down at the little boy with a bit of a 'lost in deep thought' look.

An index finger on the man's right hand signaled that he came to a conclusion for whatever he was thinking or formulating. He reached back up to the coat rack and yanked down a maroon red scarf that the man seldom wore. He crouched down on one knee, kneeling down to the white haired child's height. With a flick of his wrists, the soft fleecy scarf was tossed over the boy's neck and wrapped snugly around it to help keep him warm.

"There. I can't have you catching a chill, now can I?" Mana mused with a smile as he brushed a lock of white out of the boy's face.

Allen shook his head no, signaling that he was agreeing with the man that took him in. There was a smile of his own plastered all over his face. The child seemed to be nothing but an endless supply of smiles and grins, contagious ones none the less. The ravenette stood back up to full height, resting his hands on his bent knee and applying pressure to help push himself back up. Mana then turned the deadbolt to the left, a soft _click _sound followed suit. With that, the man twisted the doorknob and pushed open the front door.

Instantly, Allen's right hand shot up and clung to the ravenette's left. He gently inched his lithe frame closer to the older male. Worried eyes of slate silver looked up towards the taller man. Almond brown eyes only seemed to smile as they looked into those big ones below him.

"Do not worry, my child. You'll be fine." Mana soothed, gently squeezing the whitette's smaller hand in his own for comfort.

"Mmm..." Allen muttered softly, nodding once as his mitted hand shot up to curl around the rest of the older male's hand.

A small white flake gently danced around in the air right in front of the whitette's face, curious little eyes watching the white flake twirl around before sticking to the pavement below. With that one drop, many others followed suit, descending in a slow and graceful fashion. The six year-old used his free right hand to brush some stray flakes out of his locks of equal hue.

Mana then reached down, taking one edge of the scarf and re-adjusted it gently. He twirled it around his head to make sure the falling snow would not touch down and evaporate on the child's head. Allen's head swayed with the motions of the ravenette's diligent handwork and he softly hummed a flat key as he waited for the adjustments to be done with.

"There, now that pesky snow won't melt in your hair." Mana stated, gently squeezing on the mitted hand within his own as he smiled at the boy.

"Mm!" The whitette agreed with a hum, glad to return the smile back.

"Right then, time to go." The ravenette spoke before beginning to walk.

Allen quickly scurried beside him, having to take much quicker strides than the man next to him so he could keep up at an even pace. The snow fell a bit harder than before, but it fell slowly from the sky. It made the whitette feel as if he was walking through a snow globe with the man that took him in. In no time at all, the two arrived on the main road. It was positively bustling with activity. Couples walked hand-in-hand on the sidewalks, horse-drawn carriages slowly _clipped _and_ clopped _by, and incoherent sounds of chatter filled the snowy air around them.

When a single man flew past them in a great hurry, Allen let out a startled yelp and scurried behind the safety of Mana's legs, still holding on to his large hand tightly. He watched the hurried gentleman take a right at the next intersection and disappear from sight. However, the boy's heart was slamming in his chest from the startle. To seek comfort, he nuzzled his body against the back of the ravenette's clothed legs.

"It's alright, come on out." Mana coaxed, gently tugging on Allen's hand to pull him back to his side.

"Mm..." The whitette hummed worriedly in a sharp key, signaling he was still frightened slightly.

What if the man had crashed into him? What if the wind from how fast he was walking blew the scarf off his head and showed his white hair to the world? Now that he was back in the comfort of a nice warm home, the outside world scared him. In fact, he'd rather be anywhere than here at this moment in time.

"Now what happened to 'Mr. Aggressive-that-growls-at-everyone-that-comes-near-him?" Mana rhetorically asked to the white-haired child beside him on his right. A small and rather playful smile tugged at the corners of his lips after speaking.

However, the man received no answer. Instead, Allen just scooted close to the ravenette's side and grabbed on to his right pant leg with clingy hands. His slate silver eyes were watering slightly and were bloodshot in the furthermost corners.

"Ohh, come here then." The twenty-eight year old cooed as he pried the boy's hands from his pants and picked him up, resting him against his right hip and cradling him with his hands, arms swarming around the child's frame to keep him close and secure.

Instantly, the whitette dropped the pout and replaced it with a smile as his arms wrapped around Mana's neck affectionately. A hum of appreciation echoed from behind closed lips and through his nose.

With an exasperated sigh that sounded more like a soothed one, the man began to walk briskly down the sidewalk towards their first destination. The snow twirled all around them in the same slow-mo fashion, the scenery around them looking just like the inside of a snow globe. The powdery flakes dusted against the concrete and were swept around playfully by the wind.

When a bitter chill whipped past, Allen shivered and nestled the lower half of his face into Mana's thick winter coat. Breathing in and out into it caused his own warm air to blow back against the bridge of his nose and warm it slightly from the chill. This was probably the most comfortable he had ever felt in some time, even more comfortable than sitting on the carpet with his back snuggled into a nice corner at his new home. Mana's arms were the most safe and secure place the six-year old had _ever_ been in.

Allen was brought out of his stupor when he heard the sound of a door opening, followed by the dancing ring of a little bell attached to the hinges. He brought his face up from the ravenette's shoulder to see where they were. Black chairs sitting idly in front of mirrors surrounded the entirety of the small establishment. Underneath those mirrors sat light brown desks littered with scissors, combs, and containers of product.

A barber shop was where they were.

As Mana began to sit, he readjusted the whitette from his hip to his lap. The boy did not seem displeased with the change in position and still kept a small smile on his face. Then his eyes widened suddenly and fright was evident on his face as all color drained from it. Wide silver eyes snapped towards the ravenette as little hands grappled on to the front of his winter coat.

"m-Mana, wh-what about my hair color?" Allen whispered in a shaky fashion, afraid that others waiting to get a trim would pick up on his feeble voice.

"Not to worry, I have it under control." Mana spoke reassuringly, gently patting his scarf-covered head.

"Okay..." He muttered softly, unhanding the man's coat as his good arm instinctively went to cover up his already covered red arm. He squeezed the material in his little fist tightly, bunching up the durable fabric in his nervousness.

"Ahh, Mana! Good to see you!" A new voice exclaimed.

Both males turned their heads up towards the owner of the voice. A rather hefty looking man stood near one of the unoccupied chairs near the front of the building. He had a full head of ashen grey hair and a salt and pepper colored mustache complimented his rather full face. His bright green eyes sparkled even in the dim lighting. He had a black apron thrown over a creamy off-white button up shirt and it masked the front of his black slacks.

"Afternoon to you, Horris." Mana greeted, gently sliding Allen off his lap as he stood up.

"My, my! Who do you have there?" Horris asked as his eyes made contact with the whitette's.

Instinctively, the child squeaked in quiet terror and shuffled behind the safety of the ravenette's legs. Mana chuckled deeply for a moment before ushering the six-year old back into plain view for the older man to view.

"This here is Allen. I took him in yesterday." He introduced pleasantly.

"A pleasure to meet you, Allen." Horris greeted with a warm smile. He was slightly off-set about that mark slashing over his left eye, but let it be in the end.

"Mmhmm..." The six-year old muttered, wanting to desperately seek security from behind Mana's larger frame again.

"So what brings you here this afternoon? Need a trim?" The hefty man asked.

"Actually, it's for him." The ravenette gestured, using his right hand to motion towards the child right next to him.

"Ahh, trim for the little guy! Come on up here, sprout!" Horris cheerfully bellowed, patting at one of the empty black chairs.

Allen, however, stayed glued to his spot besides his guardian. His slate grey eyes displayed uncertainty as he gazed at Horris, beginning to squirm on the spot.

_'I am __**not **__a sprout...' _He thought bitterly, however.

"I don't bite, I promise!" The ashen-grey haired man swore, resting his hands on the back of the chair.

"Go on, it's alright." Mana encouraged, gently using his hands to scoot the boy closer towards his barber.

The whitette took slow and uneasy steps towards the hefty man, still afraid and very unsure. The ravenette back stepped a bit and sat himself down on a vacant chair as he watched the child walk ahead. However, Allen's mind beginning to race faster than a rampaging horse. The 'sprout' comment all but forgotten now as each step echoed loudly in his ears, and with each said step, only bad memories began to resurface.

_'Goodness me! Do you __**see **__that obscene white hair?'_

step.

_'Christ the Lord almighty, that arm! It's not human!'_

step.

_'That mark on his eye, he's cursed! Go away before you curse me too, brat!'_

step.

_'He's the Devil himself! Get away from me!'_

STEP. Slanted eyes.

_'Get out of here you monster!' rocks, rocks, pebbles and stones, whatever was in reach at his face and arm they honed._

STEP. Slanted eyes, small scowl.

_cut, gash, bruises and blood, cast aside and pushed away, rubbed into the mud._

**STEP. **Slanted eyes, small scowl, low growl.

_His time on the streets made him angry, made him fierce. No longer would he be hurt, he'd just hide behind a sneer._

_**STEP. **_A snarl and a growl.

Lost deep in his thoughts and his own paranoia, Allen growled at Horris roughly and peeled back his lips to reveal his unusually sharp canines. He readied his mitted left arm, prepared to use it as a bludgeon like he had done before to those that had mistreated him.

Horris took a step back, unsure what in the heck just took over the child. His first few unsteady steps were light and sensitive, but now they were harsh and his socked feet slapped against the ground with a reverberating echo. He was even beginning to walk towards him much faster than before. The boy even looked like he was raising his arm to strike him.

Mana was up on his feet as soon as he saw the sensitive side of Allen being overtaken by his breseked side. Quick as a cat, the ravenette swiftly glided behind the whitette and wrapped his arms around the child's torso tightly, locking his arms in place so he could not swing them wildly.

Still wrapped up in his memories, the child jerked side-to-side and grunted with strained effort as he tried to break free from the older man's hold. Without his lead-like arm to swing, he was just a defenseless child again. However, the older man's grip was unrelenting and hadn't budged once. When struggling was doing him no good, he resorted to thrashing his whole body wildly and grunting even louder and more ferociously.

Mana was much stronger and was able to keep the rampaging child in his tight hold, trying to quiet him down over his loud grunting. Realizing no matter how hard he fought, he was still trapped, feeling pinned and waiting for another unrelentless beat-down like he had received many times before.

The grunting and growling became more like whimpers and whines as he still tried to fight his way out of Mana's hold, afraid of what was to come as his mind kept playing harried scenes of his past. Realizing he was growing more frightened than he was violent, the restraining hold slipped into more of a tight embrace instead and he leaned his head down close to the child's left ear.

"Hush now, it's alright. No one here is going to harm you in any way. Horris will most certainly not hurt you, I promise. Calm down." Mana soothed, trying to coax the boy out of his dazed state.

The struggling died down and became more like involuntary twitches as he finally began to come to his senses. He slumped in the hold, precious energy sapped straight from his core as his sensitive side triumphed over those bad memories. However, his silver eyes were clouded as if he was still stuck in half-memory and half-reality. Everything was blurred and distorted for the whitette.

He couldn't make out where he was or what he was doing. Where was he? What was going on? Why was everything blurring and shrouded in blue haze? In his ever-growing confusion slowly slipping into fright, he called out for the only one who could help.

"Manaa..." Allen drawled weakly, unable to feel his presence even though he was clutched securely in his broad arms.

Gently, the ravenette slackened his hold on the boy just enough to free his right arm. With slow and steady movements, his hand gently brushed over his plump cheek lovingly, his thumb gently rubbing against his right cheekbone just an inch under the eye. His simple action equaled to that of a thousand soothing words and that alone was able to easily bring Allen fully back into reality.

"Goodness, what on earth was that?" Horris questioned, disturbed and concerned about the boy's outburst.

"He's a very traumatized child with a fear of people: Abuse, technically speaking." Mana responded as he helped steady the whitette on his own two feet again.

"But, you mellowed him out again, right?" The ashen haired man asked uncertainly.

"Yes. He should be okay now." The ravenette spoke before telling the child that Horris was a nice man and that he could trust him.

Knowing that it was safe straight from Mana, Allen was able to approach the man without hostility or any lingering traces of fear. Sensing no more danger, the ravenette returned to the front of the building an reclaimed his seat. The hefty man cracked a humorous smile towards the whitette.

"Well, if you came to any slower I probably would have been bald by the time you made it to the chair!" Horris joked exuberantly, even slapping a knee as he laughed."Hop up!" The ashen haired man added, patting the chair once more.

Allen didn't necessarily _'hop up_', but he did suit just fine with climbing into the chair and getting himself as snug as he could without bringing his walls down too far. When his eyes looked ahead of him, he was met looking back at himself with distant eyes. The distance soon caught up to reality as he realized Horris was grabbing at the maroon scarf around his hair.

Instinctively, his little hands shot up and gripped the fabric to pull down hard to his head.

"Are you scared there?" The older man asked, giving him a little pat on his right shoulder.

"Honestly, he's scared of what you'll think of his hair." Mana spoke from the front -which was not too far off mind you- in a quick voice.

Allen's eyes quickly glanced over towards the front of the building to see his guardian sitting properly in a chair by the front door. A small and all knowing smile was barely seen gracing the corners of his lips.

"Really now, why's that?" Horris inquired to either the child or the ravenette, whichever answered first.

_'Because it's white and weird and nobody likes it!' _Allen quipped silently to himself.

"Because it's a very unnatural color." The other male spoke.

"Is it now?" Horris muttered, green eyes now glancing down towards the boy pulling the scarf against his head as tightly as he could. Now that he thought about it, he _could _see a few white tufts poking out from the back of his neck via a gap in the scarf's tight embrace.

"Are ya' scared because people teased you for your hair being white?" The ashen haired man inquired.

Allen immediately whipped his head back behind him with widened silver eyes. How did he know? That man had _no _idea how spot on he was with just that little question alone.

"Don't worry kiddo, I won't tease you! Besides, I don't think I'd be able to get away with it either-" He paused for a moment to lean in and whisper something in the boy's right ear. "-Mr. Walker over there is eyeing me like a hawk now." Horris finished, pulling back with a soft grin.

Allen couldn't help but glance over to see if what Horris said was really true. Mana was still sitting upright and unmoving, but he did have this strange glint behind those bright brown eyes. In fact, it was more than a glint. There was a burst of amber around his pupil where there was none before. This had the six-year old confused. Where did that ring come from?

"There's that splash of amber again. Every time you see that near his pupils, you know he's got his eye on you and you know better than to try anything funny. I've only ever really seen it when he's very protective or possessive of something. Guy used ta' have a little brother, always brought 'im to me to get a trim. 'Nd I'd always see that splash. Don't quite know what happened to the bloke, honestly." Horris explained as he was able to remove the scarf from the whitette's head without him really noticing.

So Mana had a brother, but said brother just vanished? Like, into thin air kind of vanishing? Could that actually happen? Allen was brought out of his reverie when he heard Horris beginning to speak to him.

"So, how would you like this done?" He asked, gently flicking a stray white lock of hair playfully.

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A/N: And that's where I'll be wrapping up part 1. It was starting to get a lil' lengthy, so I figured stopping here would be a good place not only to end, but to pick up for part 2!

Anyhow, don't forget to leave some feedback! To quote another author: "Follows are my drink, favorites are my food, and reviews are my life force."

Until chapter five everybody!

~Toodles!

Millennium Earl: What kind of outro is toodles anyways?~

Me: It's a good one! And besides, that'd be like me asking you why there's always a heart at the end of everything you say?

Millennium Earl: You make a good point~


	5. Act 5: Snow Globe City pt2

Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter five of Requiem! :D I just want to apologize now for taking so long to get this part out! After I uploaded chapter four I fell out of the fandom a bit and couldn't figure out how to keep going with the fic, but after a quick recap (And reading some more manga) I'm back into the swing and giving you all a much deserved interval XD Without further ado, enjoy the chapter :3

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**~Act 5: Snow Globe City Pt. 2~**

Allen stared at the scissors in Horris's hand with both trepidation and uncertainty. He knew it was just for his hair, which was rather unkempt and slightly longer than his likings, but he had too many bad memories associated with sharp things. If he could, he'd rather just not bother with getting a part of him snipped at. Just the mere thought made him shrink down in the chair and tilt his head down as he hummed a sharp key.

Mana, quicker than a cat, caught onto his fright with near ease. He sat up straight in his chair before responding to his barber's question with a mild yet firm response.

"Just trim it up a bit, and be _gentle_." He informed, his brown eyes briefly flaring amber before they dissipated back into the subtle ring of gold they had once been at earlier.

His eyes used to not act so haphazardly in response to his emotions, that had begun shortly after Nea's death and stuck with him to this day. Ever since his blood intermingled with his own, he had those fluctuating eyes and emotions, maybe even a lick of power he did not possess before. It was comforting but also unnerving at the same time. His younger brother was with him, but also not at the same time.

"Will do." Horris chimed with a smile masked behind his greying facial hair.

The stout man reached over to his counter and curled his fingers around a small spray bottle before he angled it over Allen's hair and gave a few squeezes to the trigger. A misting spray of water doused the boy's head, making him flinch and instinctively shut his eyes, his shoulders tensing tightly. The mist was cold and had chills ascend up and down the boy's arms, almost making him shiver.

"You'll be fine, dear boy. I promise I won't hurt you. You're brave right? Surely you can be brave through this little task." Horris assured, talking to him in a tone that most adults use when they talk to small children.

Allen forced his gainsboro gray eyes to open as he gave the older man a pitiful look. No, he wasn't brave, or at least he didn't think he was. After the past he lived through, it would be a far stretch from the truth. He was nowhere _near_ brave.

"I can talk you through it if you'd like?" He suggested with another concealed, yet tender, smile.

The white-haired boy's eyebrows wrinkled upwards before he whipped his head over to the left. "Mana-" Allen whined, wanting the man to stand beside him so he wouldn't be so frightened.

Having the black-haired man near him just made him feel comfortable and he didn't know why. He enjoyed being close to him or wrapped up in his arms. Either way, he was starting to like it, even if it had only been a day since they met.

Needing no other cue, the entertainer was swift to stand from his seat and make his way over to the small child, not liking that worried tone in his voice. When he was right beside the boy on his left, he gave him a caring smile. The tension just left Allen's shoulder by that point and he relaxed just enough to crack a small grin.

"Well okay, we'll start slow then, let me know if you want me to stop." Horris began as he took a thick white lock in his free hand.

The six-year old scrunched his eyes shut tightly and tensed his shoulders and slouched his back, bracing himself for what was to come. With diligent fingers and a quick snip or two, the lock was trimmed and tidied up and dropped back down to drape against the white-haired boy's face. Allen gently pried his left eye open, looking around the small establishment warily.

He heard Mana chuckle at his display from beside him as he opened up his other eye. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, seeing that the strand that had been trimmed hung right above his bright red pentagram mark. He was surprised Horris didn't throw him out of the building and call him cursed when he saw that mark. It flushed red against his already rose-blushed cheeks, his white hair and silver eyes only enhancing the scarlet color of it.

"See? That wasn't too bad, huh?" Horris guffawed happily as he took another lock into his hands. "Ready for the next one?" He inquired, wanting to make sure that the child was ready for his whole hair to be snipped at rather than just piece by piece at a time.

Allen nodded with a calm hum of agreement, his fingers fidgeting with the oven mitt on his deformed left arm from under the tarp like material above his clothes.

The elder barber went to work with snipping and trimming, chuckling and humming a tune softly as he did so. For the most part, the child was okay. He had to stop and wince whenever an unexpected tangle was snagged, or when the scissors got too close to his head he'd try to pull away. A few mild reminders from Mana were all it took to get him to relax again and remember that he was not here to be hurt.

After ten minutes of the same repetitive rhythm of mist, lift, and snip, the deed was done and the scissors were set against the counter in front of him. Allen had to look at his reflection with more interest now that his hair didn't veneer his appearance. His bangs were slightly parted down the middle, hanging misaligned at his eyebrows while the rest tapered his little face as spikes rounded the back and were layered throughout the white. It seemed to have brightened his once colorless eyes, adding slate to the blank light grey.

He twisted his head to the left and right, looking it over at every angle he possibly could as a soft grin eased over his mouth. The metallic gray tarp was removed from his body and the stray hairs were shaken off of it and onto the floor to be swept up later.

Allen felt a large hand run through his fluffy hair and he could tell it was Mana due to the reflection in the mirror. He saw the lavish man smile softly as his index finger twirled playfully with an extra-puffy lock of snow white.

"You look very nice, Allen." The entertainer praised with a small hum of agreement to his statement.

The child couldn't stave off the tender pink blush from painting his cheeks in a rubicund glow as he looked down at his lap, locking with his pale fingers and contrasting blue of the large oven mitt engulfing his distorted hand and arm.

"What do I owe you for this, Horris?" Mana inquired to his barber, pausing in his display of affection towards the boy for a moment.

"Just call it thirty five cents and we're good." The stout man decided with a dismissive wave.

"You sure? I know it costs a little more than that." The black-haired man pressed, reaching for the required amount from his back pocket anyways.

"Sure I'm sure. It was just a trim for the little guy, after all." Horris insisted as the proper amount of currency was placed into his warm hands.

"Thank you, I'll be seeing you soon, then." Mana spoke as he turned away from the older man and headed to the front door, before throwing an, "Allen, come along." Over his shoulder.

The six-year old quickly hopped down from the chair and scurried over to catch up to the lavish man, falling to a comfortable pace as soon as he reached his side. The front door was opened up and the two parted from the barber's with another destination set.

"Don't forget to put your scarf back on." Mana reminded as soon as they were on the snowy streets again.

"Okay!" Allen chirped, taking the maroon red scarf draped obscenely loose around his neck and adjusting it as best as he could like how it had been before.

"Alright, next place; Stanley's." The entertainer spoke aloud as his hand wrapped around the child's mitted one to ensure he would not get lose or left behind.

"Who's that?" The white-haired boy asked as he looked up at the raven-haired man, his silver eyes flashing brighter in contrast to the falling white ephemeral snow around them.

"It's not _who_, child. It's the name of a store." Mana told with a gentle titter.

"_ooohh!_" Allen drawled, the gears of thought and recognition turning in his head as he caught on.

He walked a little bit faster when he realized he was causing the older man to slow down. He didn't want them to go too slow, after all, it was still really cold out and he barely had any clothes to help him keep warmth with. He at least had the scarf Mana let him borrow, which did well to not only keep him warm, but hide his horrifying facial scar and unnatural white hair.

A cold wind blew through the bustling town, the hurried air strong enough to blow the Allen's scarf right off his head and around his entire face instead. He stopped and let out a muffled cry of surprise, the fabric tangling around his head in the wrong direction to only further hinder his sight. He wrestled with it and tried to free his face from the suffocating fabric

"Keep still, Allen." Mana directed as he crouched down to the boy's height and used his guiding hands to untangle the boy from the clutches of the winter gear.

"It's eating my face!" The six-year old cried, his voice muffled from the thick red material.

His outburst caused the entertainer to laugh to himself as he worked the fabric off the boy's face. "It's not eating your face, child." He mused with a grin as he finally freed the little one's face.

Allen's pentagram mark flushed a bright red against the natural pink flush in his cheeks. A puff of white breath could be seen as he exhaled in relief now that he was unrestricted once more. He fished out a bright smile for the raven-haired man as a silent way of saying his thanks. Mana returned the gesture with a swift smile of his own. He stood back up to his full height and held out a hand for the young one to latch onto.

"Come along, before the snow becomes more troublesome." Mana gently directed.

"Yes, Mana!" Allen laughed, taking ahold of the older man's hand.

They continued their trek through the snowy streets of Britain, the young white-haired child taking more time to look around at his surroundings. Now that his hair had been trimmed and tided up a bit, it was much easier for him to see than it was before. He could now see people's faces without a bushel of white hair restricting his view. While he was with Mana, no one gave Allen any strange or angry glances. In fact, adults smiled at him when he made eye contact with them. He made sure to return the kind notion in order to be polite.

The entertainer could see that the young boy beside him was becoming less skittish and friendlier. He wasn't cowering behind his leg and he wasn't hastily trying to avoid eye contact with everyone that managed to cross his silver sights. All in all, he'd have to say this outing was good for Allen. From time to time whenever a carriage would scurry by, the white-haired boy would become spooked and go right back to hiding behind him. It never lasted for long and he would eventually go back to walking right beside him.

It was almost hard to believe that this young boy was terrified at the thought of going outside no more than an hour ago. He seemed well adjusted to it now, or at least better accustomed. It wouldn't be too much longer before Mana would get to introduce the child to the circus he often traveled with. He had a strong gut feeling that Allen would enjoy it there very much.

A fond smile had to cross his face at the thought of that little one doing some juggling or balancing on a large ball. He could actually picture the white-haired boy in proper clothes that fit him and practicing some circus tricks with a big smile etched across his face. After all, he still had one full week to get Allen fully used to a normal life.

If he had already made this much progress, how hard could it be?

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A/N: Famous last words, Mana XD I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, even if it is a bit short and took me forever and a day to type up. I've been going through a ton of stuff since the last update, and do I mean a _ton!_ Life, health, hobbies, you name it! So looks like there'll just have to be a part three instead of two like I planned.

Don't be shy to leave some comments behind to let me know what you guys thought of the chapter okay? To quote another author:

'_Follows are my drink, favorites are my food, and reviews are my life force.'_

Until next time!

~Zimithrus1

M. Earl: You aren't very good at this 'scheduled updating' thing are you?~

Me: _It is a work in progress!_


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